From M. Allemand we received a letter, dated October, 1766, containing
a number of excellent observations respecting this animal, and from
which the following is an extract: "I am in possession of a stuffed
giraffe, and since you expressed a desire to know the nature of its
horns I cut one of them off, and send it to you; it is, however,
necessary to observe, that it belonged to a very young one. I received
it from the governor of the Cape, who informed me that it was killed
as it was lying by the side of its mother; it was about six feet in
height, and its horns did not exceed two inches and a half. These horns
were covered all over with skin and hairs; the base was more than an
inch broad, forming an obtuse cone; and to be certain whether it was
solid or hollow I sawed it through longitudinally with that part of the
skull to which it adhered, and I found its texture to resemble that
of the horns of the stag more than any other animal. If indeed I were
positive that a horn which was sent me as belonging to a giraffe did
really belong to that animal, I should not hesitate to say there was
no difference between them, except in the figure, this being straight,
and without branches. With respect to the legs I conceive their
disproportion in length has been greatly magnified, for the difference
between the fore and hind ones of this young animal is very slight."
The horns of the giraffe being solid, and their substance similar to
those of the stag, there could be no doubt of his ranking in the same
genus, especially if he sheds his horns annually of which, however, we
are still uncertain; but we may safely assert he ought to be separated
from that of the ox, and all those animals whose horns are hollow;
and, indeed, until the contrary be proved to be the fact, we cannot do
otherwise than consider the giraffe as a peculiar species, in the same
manner as the elephant, rhinoceros, the hippopotamus, forming a species
which has no collaterals, and which seems to be a privilege conferred
by Nature simply on those which are of the largest magnitude.
In the description of M. Allemand we freely acknowledge that he has
displayed much accuracy, and a perfect intimacy with the subject; but
yet I apprehend that the longest of the horns he did me the favour to
transmit does not belong to a giraffe, for the short one is very thick,
and that quite thin, comparatively with their different lengths. In
an anonymous description which I received from Holland of this animal
it is stated, that the horns of a full-grown giraffe are a foot long,
and as thick as a man's arm; according to which the horn we are now
considering being six inches long, it ought to be full twice as thick,
as it is, in reality; and, indeed, it so perfectly resembles the first
horns of a young stag, that we can have little doubt of its belonging
to that animal.
As to the nature of the giraffe's horns I feel no hesitation in
coinciding with the opinion of M. Allemand. The protuberance on the
front is osseous, and may be considered as a third horn; and as the
horns adhere to the cranium, they should be considered as osseous
prolongations of the head. In short the horn of the giraffe appears to
be a bone, differing from that of the ox by its covering, the latter
being entirely surrounded with a horny substance, and the former with
hair and skin.